Women's Basketball inks four recruits during early signing period
11/14/2014 3:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ABILENE - Abilene Christian women's basketball head coach Julie Goodenough today announced that high school recruits Shelby Jones, McKenzie Martin, Breklyn Wentz and Sara Williamson each have signed a National Letter of Intent to begin playing for the Wildcats in time for the 2015-16 season.
Martin and Williamson are both coming to ACU from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, while Wentz - a native of Lubbock - is the younger sister of junior Parker Wentz of the Wildcats' men's basketball team. Jones grew up in the Eastern New Mexico hamlet of Clovis, which is a short four-hour drive from Abilene.
"We have been blessed with yet another outstanding recruiting class," said Goodenough, who is at the start of her third year at ACU. "This is a very talented group of young women, who exude character and integrity. They will be tremendous ambassadors for Abilene Christian."
Profiles of each of this year's signees are listed in alphabetical order.
Shelby Jones (6-1 | F | Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS)
Jones was part of Clovis High School's 2013 state championship team and has led the Wildcats to the district championships on three occasions. She was a second team all-district honoree as a freshman, and has made both first team all-district and second team all-state the past two seasons, all while receiving her team's awards for most rebounds and blocked shots.
As a sophomore, Jones averaged 7.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per game, and lifted those per-game averages as a junior to 9.0, 7.6 and 1.6. In addition to basketball, Jones also ran track and competed for the Clovis soccer team.
"I'm happy and proud of Shelby on the opportunity she has to fulfill a goal and dream of hers to play college basketball," said Clovis head girls' basketball coach Jeff Reed. "She is a great post player with tremendous rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
"I think she is one of the best post players in the state, if not the best all-around post player in New Mexico," Reed added. "I am excited that she has one more season to play for us before going on to college to have a great career at a great institution like Abilene Christian University."
A National Honor Society member and recipient of an United State Army academic/athletic honor, Jones chose ACU because of its proximity to Clovis and excellent coaching staff.
"Shelby comes from a perennial high school powerhouse and knows that it takes work ethic and commitment to win championships," said Goodenough. "She is a very good high/low post player and a strong scorer on the low block."
McKenzie Martin (6-2 | F | Allen, Texas / Allen HS)
Martin will join a long list of proficient Wildcat 3-point shooters when she arrives on campus next summer, as she has knocked down 169 treys (.468) in two full seasons with the Eagles behind a 46 percent field-goal percentage.
Unfortunately, she had to sit out last season while recovering from an injury but is ready to come back strong for her senior year competing for head coach Deidra Rucker.
"McKenzie is an outstanding student-athlete," said Rucker, "and there aren't a lot of kids with her size (6'2) that can light it up from deep behind the three or post up the smaller guards. She is a very consistent shooter and extremely coachable, and I'm excited that I have the opportunity to coach her this year. She leads by example and ACU is receiving a well-rounded and complete player."
Martin, who has averaged 11 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, is considered to be one of the best deep ball shooters in the state and chose Abilene Christian over Angelo State, Arkansas State, North Texas and Radford in order to study at a smaller school with superior academics. She also came away impressed by her future teammates and coaches while on campus.
"The coaches are building an outstanding program with a tremendous foundation already in place, and I have started to build some great relationships with my future teammates," said Martin. "I think the system that Coach Goodenough and her staff use is a great fit for me and I look forward to being a part of something so special and exciting."
Martin plans to major in kinesiology at ACU, and on the court it's expected she'll blend in effortlessly with ACU's up-tempo, high-scoring offense.
"McKenzie caught our attention as a great 3-point shooter before she suffered the injury during the summer before her junior year," said Goodenough. "Her determination and extreme work ethic pushed her through rehab and she emerged this past summer as one of the best long-range shooters in the nation ... With great range and consistency, she will obviously fit well into our style of play."
Breklyn Wentz (5-2 | G| Lubbock, Texas / Trinity Christian)
Wentz is a distinguished point guard at Trinity Christian who made the all-state first team following her first three seasons of high school basketball. Her career averages while leading the Lions to consecutive TAPPS Class 4A state championships include an impressive 10.1 points per game, plus 5.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 5.2 steals per game.
"Breklyn is a straight up playmaker," said Goodenough. "She can score from the 3-point line as well and finish drives, but her ability to get all of her teammates involved on the offensive end of the floor is amazing. Competing and excelling in all sports at her high school, Breklyn has exhibited great leadership and toughness that we are excited to add to our program."
"Character, character, character ... Breklyn is a bold confident Christian woman who will not let evil go unchecked; she is the tempo setter on both ends of the floor," added Trinity Christian head girls' basketball coach Greg Ammons. "She has been this way since she walked through the door. She plays with no fear and you cannot hurt her."
At the end of her junior season in 2013-14 Wentz made NCSAA third team all-America in addition to its Central Super Region team alongside two of her classmates. And earlier this month the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal tabbed her to the first team all-region super team right before leading her volleyball squad to the 4A TAPPS Volleyball State Championship.
"I chose ACU because it is a phenomenal school with an incredible basketball program," said Wentz, "and they put the Lord first in all they do. Their great coaching staff encourages and pushes their girls. They are all so close and seem to be a family that I can't wait to be a part of!"
Sara Williamson (5-10 | G | Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall HS)
A four-year starter and three-year team captain, Williamson will provide even more depth to an already strong corps of Wildcat guards when she arrives in the Key City.
Williamson is a District 12-5A MVP and TABC first team all-region honoree, but equally impressive was her winning of the TABC's Free Throw Award for making and attempting the most free throws in the state of Texas.
"Sara is a hard-nosed scoring perimeter player with an unusual knack for drawing fouls and getting to the FT line," said Goodenough. "She is a ball hawk on defense and does a great job of getting deflections and rebounds."
Through her first three years of playing at Rockwall High School - which sits off I-30 on the northeastern edge of the Metroplex - Williams has averaged 15.6 points, 4.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.
In February of this year, Williamson earned the Dallas Morning News' Girls Basketball Player of the Week award after scoring 26 points in a win vs. Mesquite. Late in the game Williamson went coast-to-coast, got fouled and hit two free throws to tie the score with 22 seconds left. Then, after a steal, she hit layup with five seconds remaining to give Rockwall a 52-50 win.
"Sara is a great basketball player, a great leader, and an even better person," said Rockwall head girls' basketball coach Casi Brewer. "She loves the game and loves to compete. It has been a blessing to get to coach her and ACU is getting an outstanding young woman who reflects great leadership, character, heart, hard work and unity."
Williamson's additional high school honors include District 10-4A Newcomer of the Year, 2012-13 District 12-5A Offensive Player of the Year, and 2013-14 member of the Academic All-District team.
Williamson is currently unsure of what she'll major in at ACU, but is more than excited to begin her career as a Wildcat student-athlete.
"I fell in love with the campus the moment I saw it and when I got out of the golf cart for the first stop on the campus tour, I knew that ACU was where I wanted to continue my basketball career," said Williamson. "The atmosphere is great and unlike anything I've ever seen and I love it. The players and the coaching staff are such amazing people and I can't wait to be a Wildcat!"
Martin and Williamson are both coming to ACU from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, while Wentz - a native of Lubbock - is the younger sister of junior Parker Wentz of the Wildcats' men's basketball team. Jones grew up in the Eastern New Mexico hamlet of Clovis, which is a short four-hour drive from Abilene.
"We have been blessed with yet another outstanding recruiting class," said Goodenough, who is at the start of her third year at ACU. "This is a very talented group of young women, who exude character and integrity. They will be tremendous ambassadors for Abilene Christian."
Profiles of each of this year's signees are listed in alphabetical order.
Shelby Jones (6-1 | F | Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS)
Jones was part of Clovis High School's 2013 state championship team and has led the Wildcats to the district championships on three occasions. She was a second team all-district honoree as a freshman, and has made both first team all-district and second team all-state the past two seasons, all while receiving her team's awards for most rebounds and blocked shots.
As a sophomore, Jones averaged 7.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per game, and lifted those per-game averages as a junior to 9.0, 7.6 and 1.6. In addition to basketball, Jones also ran track and competed for the Clovis soccer team.
"I'm happy and proud of Shelby on the opportunity she has to fulfill a goal and dream of hers to play college basketball," said Clovis head girls' basketball coach Jeff Reed. "She is a great post player with tremendous rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
"I think she is one of the best post players in the state, if not the best all-around post player in New Mexico," Reed added. "I am excited that she has one more season to play for us before going on to college to have a great career at a great institution like Abilene Christian University."
A National Honor Society member and recipient of an United State Army academic/athletic honor, Jones chose ACU because of its proximity to Clovis and excellent coaching staff.
"Shelby comes from a perennial high school powerhouse and knows that it takes work ethic and commitment to win championships," said Goodenough. "She is a very good high/low post player and a strong scorer on the low block."
McKenzie Martin (6-2 | F | Allen, Texas / Allen HS)
Martin will join a long list of proficient Wildcat 3-point shooters when she arrives on campus next summer, as she has knocked down 169 treys (.468) in two full seasons with the Eagles behind a 46 percent field-goal percentage.
Unfortunately, she had to sit out last season while recovering from an injury but is ready to come back strong for her senior year competing for head coach Deidra Rucker.
"McKenzie is an outstanding student-athlete," said Rucker, "and there aren't a lot of kids with her size (6'2) that can light it up from deep behind the three or post up the smaller guards. She is a very consistent shooter and extremely coachable, and I'm excited that I have the opportunity to coach her this year. She leads by example and ACU is receiving a well-rounded and complete player."
Martin, who has averaged 11 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, is considered to be one of the best deep ball shooters in the state and chose Abilene Christian over Angelo State, Arkansas State, North Texas and Radford in order to study at a smaller school with superior academics. She also came away impressed by her future teammates and coaches while on campus.
"The coaches are building an outstanding program with a tremendous foundation already in place, and I have started to build some great relationships with my future teammates," said Martin. "I think the system that Coach Goodenough and her staff use is a great fit for me and I look forward to being a part of something so special and exciting."
Martin plans to major in kinesiology at ACU, and on the court it's expected she'll blend in effortlessly with ACU's up-tempo, high-scoring offense.
"McKenzie caught our attention as a great 3-point shooter before she suffered the injury during the summer before her junior year," said Goodenough. "Her determination and extreme work ethic pushed her through rehab and she emerged this past summer as one of the best long-range shooters in the nation ... With great range and consistency, she will obviously fit well into our style of play."
Breklyn Wentz (5-2 | G| Lubbock, Texas / Trinity Christian)
Wentz is a distinguished point guard at Trinity Christian who made the all-state first team following her first three seasons of high school basketball. Her career averages while leading the Lions to consecutive TAPPS Class 4A state championships include an impressive 10.1 points per game, plus 5.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 5.2 steals per game.
"Breklyn is a straight up playmaker," said Goodenough. "She can score from the 3-point line as well and finish drives, but her ability to get all of her teammates involved on the offensive end of the floor is amazing. Competing and excelling in all sports at her high school, Breklyn has exhibited great leadership and toughness that we are excited to add to our program."
"Character, character, character ... Breklyn is a bold confident Christian woman who will not let evil go unchecked; she is the tempo setter on both ends of the floor," added Trinity Christian head girls' basketball coach Greg Ammons. "She has been this way since she walked through the door. She plays with no fear and you cannot hurt her."
At the end of her junior season in 2013-14 Wentz made NCSAA third team all-America in addition to its Central Super Region team alongside two of her classmates. And earlier this month the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal tabbed her to the first team all-region super team right before leading her volleyball squad to the 4A TAPPS Volleyball State Championship.
"I chose ACU because it is a phenomenal school with an incredible basketball program," said Wentz, "and they put the Lord first in all they do. Their great coaching staff encourages and pushes their girls. They are all so close and seem to be a family that I can't wait to be a part of!"
Sara Williamson (5-10 | G | Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall HS)
A four-year starter and three-year team captain, Williamson will provide even more depth to an already strong corps of Wildcat guards when she arrives in the Key City.
Williamson is a District 12-5A MVP and TABC first team all-region honoree, but equally impressive was her winning of the TABC's Free Throw Award for making and attempting the most free throws in the state of Texas.
"Sara is a hard-nosed scoring perimeter player with an unusual knack for drawing fouls and getting to the FT line," said Goodenough. "She is a ball hawk on defense and does a great job of getting deflections and rebounds."
Through her first three years of playing at Rockwall High School - which sits off I-30 on the northeastern edge of the Metroplex - Williams has averaged 15.6 points, 4.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.
In February of this year, Williamson earned the Dallas Morning News' Girls Basketball Player of the Week award after scoring 26 points in a win vs. Mesquite. Late in the game Williamson went coast-to-coast, got fouled and hit two free throws to tie the score with 22 seconds left. Then, after a steal, she hit layup with five seconds remaining to give Rockwall a 52-50 win.
"Sara is a great basketball player, a great leader, and an even better person," said Rockwall head girls' basketball coach Casi Brewer. "She loves the game and loves to compete. It has been a blessing to get to coach her and ACU is getting an outstanding young woman who reflects great leadership, character, heart, hard work and unity."
Williamson's additional high school honors include District 10-4A Newcomer of the Year, 2012-13 District 12-5A Offensive Player of the Year, and 2013-14 member of the Academic All-District team.
Williamson is currently unsure of what she'll major in at ACU, but is more than excited to begin her career as a Wildcat student-athlete.
"I fell in love with the campus the moment I saw it and when I got out of the golf cart for the first stop on the campus tour, I knew that ACU was where I wanted to continue my basketball career," said Williamson. "The atmosphere is great and unlike anything I've ever seen and I love it. The players and the coaching staff are such amazing people and I can't wait to be a Wildcat!"
 |  |
| Shelby Jones | McKenzie Martin |
 |  |
| Breklyn Wentz | Sara Williamson |
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